AMERKS FALTER IN THIRD, FALL TO CHECKERS IN OVERTIME
Rosén extends point streak to nine straight games, Levi makes 40 saves in 4-3 OT loss to Charlotte
Dec 6, 2025The Rochester Americans (13-9-2-0) carried a two-goal lead midway through the third period of Saturday’s rematch with the Charlotte Checkers (11-6-2-0) but failed to stop a late push by the defending Eastern Conference champions in what became a 4-3 overtime loss at Bojangles Coliseum.
By earning three out of a possible four points on the weekend, the Amerks have collected at least one point in seven of the last eight games in Charlotte, which excludes the 2024 Queen City Outdoor Classic. Additionally, the contest was the first that went beyond regulation between the two clubs since Rochester claimed a 4-3 win back on Mar. 30, 2018.
Forwards Konsta Helenius, Jagger Joshua, and Carson Meyer all scored for the Amerks, who have points in four straight and five of their last six games dating back to Nov. 22. Rochester remains in second place in the AHL’s North Division and is just four back of Laval going into the first full week of December.
Isak Rosén (0+1) extended his AHL point streak to a career-best nine games as he and Zac Jones had the assists on Helenius’ eighth goal of the season in the first period. Zach Metsa, Viktor Neuchev, Anton Wahlberg, and Mason Geersten each provided assists to round out the scoring.
Goaltender Devon Levi (9-3-2) made a season-high 40 saves in his 15th appearance of the campaign. Levi, who faced 40-plus shots for the first time in a regular season game since Mar. 15, 2024 and fifth time in his AHL career overall, is tied for second amongst the league’s netminders in wins.
Robby Fabbri (1+1), Wilmer Skoog (1+1), and Gracyn Sawchyn (0+2) all tallied two points to help Charlotte avoid its third straight defeat while netminder Coopper Black (9-3-1) won his sixth straight start and ninth overall.
FIRST PERIOD
Charlotte, which entered the game with back-to-back regulation losses for the first time since the second week of January 2025, jumped out to a 1-0 lead 4:15 into the opening period. As John Livingstone held the puck at the right point, he fired a shot on Levi. The Amerks netminder made the initial save but Skoog dug out the rebound before he was also turned aside. Unfortunately, on the third chance, Fabbri gathered the puck to the right of the net and notched his first AHL marker since Oct. 24, 2018.
Four minutes after the goal, both teams took coincidental roughing infractions as Charlotte held a commanding 11-0 shot-advantage.
As the teams were skating four aside, Jones reached out his stick to break up a potential one-time feed inside his own zone. Rosén sprinted ahead to grab the puck as he and Helenius were on an odd-man rush entering the far blueline. Rosén made his way inside the left dot before perfectly laying a pass for Helenius to tuck overtop Black’s glove for his eighth of the season.
Rochester, which registered its first shot on Helenius’ marker 8:59 into the period, and Charlotte went into the intermission break even at 1-1, but a late double minor high-sticking penalty gave the Amerks 2:12 of carryover power-play time.
SECOND PERIOD
The Amerks were unable to generate much in the early stages of the man-advantage, however, as Metsa had the puck inside the Checkers’ zone, he hammered a shot towards the cage. With both Trevor Kuntar and Joshua stationed in front of the net, the latter redirected Metsa’s offering to double the lead with his fifth goal of the season.
The score remained 2-1 in Rochester’s favor for 10 minutes until Metsa retrieved a puck inside his own blueline while in transition. The Quinnipiac University product banked a backhanded pass off the boards for Geersten, who was positioned between the benches. Geersten played the pass into open ice for Wahlberg to collect. The Swedish forward carried the puck into the zone before pulling up and hitting Meyer with a pass to snipe past Black for his fifth goal with just under nine minutes to play.
Charlotte, which faced a two-goal deficit late in the second stanza, had its best chance to cut into the lead as Sawchyn had a breakaway opportunity. The forward retrieved a bobbled puck near center ice but was denied on a forehand shot as well as a wrap-around attempt by Levi.
THIRD PERIOD
The third period was much like the opening period as Charlotte seemed to carry nearly all the play in the offensive zone. The Checkers drew two separate tripping penalties two minutes apart and capitalized on both power-plays with conversions from Skoog and Ben Steeves, who scored twice on Friday.
Charlotte finished the period with 14 shots and two goals from Skoog and Steeves whereas Black was tested just one time from Jack Rathbone in the opening minute of play.
The matchup went to overtime with the score even at 3-3.
OVERTIME
Unlike Wednesday’s game against Utica that also required overtime, the Amerks controlled the opening face-off and had an opportunity to end it. Flying down the left wing with the puck, Rosén was attempting to set-up Helenius with another backdoor feed, but it was intercepted at the face-off dot.
After gaining possession and crossing into the offensive zone, Sawchyn exchanged a pass with Fabbri. The veteran forward absorbed a hit before finding Bjornfot, who was circling through the slot, and completed the come-from-behind win for Charlotte just 37 seconds into the extra frame.
UP NEXT
The Amerks head north of the border to close out their three-game road swing on Wednesday, Dec. 10 with a North Division matchup against the Belleville Senators at CAA Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
ROC: K. Helenius (8), J. Jagger (5), C. Meyer (5)
CLT: R. Fabbri (1), W. Skoog (8), B. Steeves (9), T. Bjornfot (1 – GWG)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Levi – 40/44 (OTL)
CLT: C. Black – 18/21 (W)
Shots
ROC: 21
CLT: 44
Special Teams
ROC: PP (1/3) | PK (1/3)
CLT: PP (2/3) | PK (2/3)
Three Stars:
1. CLT - T. Bjornfot
2. CLT - B. Steeves
3. CLT - W. Skoog